This article was co-authored by Ramin Ahmari. Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, a social media influencer consultancy. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

Instagram is one of the fastest-growing marketing tools of this generation; for this reason, anyone can make money with some patience and a few simple start-up techniques. By creating a dedicated, well-maintained Instagram account with high-quality content, reaching out to brand names or photography sites, and generating content for which people are willing to pay, you too can earn money through Instagram!

Steps

Part 1

Creating an Attractive Account

1

Make a creative but descriptive username. Once your Instagram becomes famous, people will refer to it by your account's username; for this reason, your username should be memorable, distinctive, and easy to say out loud.

Your username's style should reflect your content theme; if you're an artist, for example, you'll probably want to stick to some derivative of your real name (or your artist alias).

2

Flesh out your bio with pertinent information. There are a variety of things you might have readily available for users here:

Fine-tune your posts and their descriptions. This process includes making the photos aesthetically pleasing through use of filters and other editing options as well as placing pertinent information in the photo's description.

If you're advertising, for example, a short sentence describing the product or service you're promoting in relation to how it betters your life followed by appropriate links should go in the photo's description.

Posts tend to be best-received at around 2:00 AM and at 5:00 PM. Make sure you're around these times for your target demographic's specific timezone.[1]

Ramin Ahmari

CEO & Co-Founder, FINESSE US Inc.

Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, a social media influencer consultancy. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

EXPERT ADVICE

As you start to grow, always lead with what you represent. Ramin Ahmari, the Co-Founder and CEO of FINESSE, says: "Most importantly, you do not want to focus on monetization — you are a content creator and that should always be your first priority. Don’t sell out that following that loves your content for a small gig here and there - think about what your audience wants to see and be selective in what you represent. Your most important metric is your following and you never want to sacrifice that."

5

Post several times a day. While it is important not to inundate your followers with content, providing quality posts a few times per day will keep them satisfied.[2]

Try to vary your content within its thematic scope; you don't want to deviate too much from the kind of stuff you normally post, but you shouldn't be posting the same thing every day.

6

Read your posts' comments. Users will generally give you feedback--whether explicitly or implicitly--that can help you tailor your future posts to the majority of your followers.

You won't be able to incorporate every user's suggestions; instead, focus on common themes from the bulk of your Instagram followers.

7

Maintain an active presence on Instagram. This will both promote your account name and increase your overall likability:[3]

Respond to comments often. Once you reach a certain follower amount, you'll no longer be able to respond to all comments; still, try to respond to a couple of users per post.

Favorite posts from brands, users, or accounts with which you'd like to work. This is a way to practice Instagram altruism while simultaneously promoting your account name.

8

Complement your Instagram account with other social media accounts. Links to your pertinent social media accounts should already be in your bio, but it's important to keep these pages updated with relevant content:

Facebook - Create and maintain a dedicated Facebook page for your Instagram content. You can then promote this page on Facebook.

Twitter - Create a specific Twitter account for your Instagram content. You can cross-post Instagram content to Twitter, though you should endeavor to post unique content here too.

Other sites that will depend on your intended demographic include Tumblr, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Part 2

Building Your Follower Base

1

Set a follower number goal. This should be contingent on your content's theme; if you plan on applying to collaborate with brands for advertising campaigns, for example, most brands will require you to have around 10,000 followers before you can advertise for them.[4]

Ramin Ahmari

CEO & Co-Founder, FINESSE US Inc.

Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, a social media influencer consultancy. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

EXPERT ADVICE

At what number are you considered an influencer? Ramin Ahmari, the Co-Founder and CEO of FINESSE, says: "On Instagram, you're usually considered a micro-influencer if you have over 10,000 followers. You're a macro-influencer if you have over a million. However, there are also different levels in between. Up until 100,000 followers, you usually receive some free products now and then and some modeling gig if you fall into that niche. However, true monetization really starts through partnerships that start appearing at 100K+ followers."

2

Use relevant hashtags in your posts. If you are attempting to reach a specific demographic--which you should be--use hashtags for which that demographic might search. For example, if you have several photos of landscapes from the Pacific Northwest, you might tag your photos as "#pnw" and #"pacific northwest".[5]

Only use hashtags relevant to your post, since using clickbait or wayward keywords will both frustrate potential followers and get your account flagged as spam.

3

Like and comment on photos from other accounts. This exposes your account name, making it easier for anyone who sees your likes and comments to check out your profile. Ideally, you'll do this for users whom you would like to have following you.

You can do this on many random accounts to attract followers. While this process may be time-consuming, it's a good way to earn a few followers here and there.

4

Promote your account on social media. Your other social media accounts should already be fairly present on Instagram thanks to your bio; make sure your Instagram account is equally present on these social media accounts.

Even just posting a link to your Instagram account on your Facebook or Twitter page is a good way to promote your content.

5

Facilitate engagement. Requesting feedback or action from your followers will get them involved; if your requests are interesting enough, they will draw in more followers as well. You can facilitate engagement in a few ways:

Hosting give-aways for products or services. Make sure you require your users to "Like" and/or share your post to qualify.

Asking questions. Doing this will encourage users to respond, which curates interest in your content.

Taking requests. Especially if you're using Instagram to showcase photos, taking requests from users will get them personally invested in your future content.

6

Use promotions. Try hosting a giveaway on your page to generate customer interest. Ask giveaway entrants to follow your Instagram profile to enter, or ask them to tag friends to create a viral effect. Make sure to follow Instagram's promotion guidelines if you host a giveaway or contest.

7

Listen to your follower base. If you notice a common complaint or request, don't ignore it; instead, find a way to implement follower feedback in order to satisfy the bulk of your followers. Remember, your followers are your greatest support group!

Part 3

Using Affiliate Marketing

1

Make sure you meet the requirements for marketing. You should have an interest in promoting brand names, at least 500 followers, and the ability to update/post content regularly.

A lot of affiliate marketing will involve you taking photos of yourself or others displaying or using products or services.

2

Follow your intended brands on Instagram. If you want brands to notice your account, you'll need to be active on their pages. This is also a good way to educate yourself on their aspects of marketing such as their preferred tone, style of content, and products/services.

3

Like and comment on your followed brands' posts. If you do this often enough, you will capture your brands' attention; this can show them that your account is a potentially valuable asset.

Don't just spam brands with empty comments or questions; instead, post insights, feedback, or rich questions that have the potential to further the brands' marketing.

4

Find an affiliate marketing service. There are several sites that will help you partner with businesses; keep in mind that you'll need to capture the attention of the brand you wish to promote first.

Shareasale - Create an account, then sign up to work for a specific merchant. Any users you direct to these merchants via link on your Instagram profile will earn you a commission.

Stylinity - Intended for fashion use; if users shop via your link to their site, you get paid via commission.

5

Reach out to brands on social media. This shows that your Instagram account has depth. You can also contact brands' marketing departments directly via email.

This is another reason to have your work email in your bio; when brands are ready to contact you, they can do so right from your Instagram page.

6

Be patient. If your account is active and constantly growing, a brand will want to work with you at some point, if only for minor marketing in exchange for free products. You're starting from the bottom and working your way up, so any marketing experience you can get--even for free--will help build your portfolio and contribute to greater opportunities later.

Part 4

Selling Your Photos

1

Consider selling your photos. While this option won't apply to every Instagram account, anyone with an HD photo-capable smartphone can try their hand at taking, editing, and uploading Instagram photos; sooner or later, you'll probably upload something that someone will be interested in.

2

Find an app to help you sell photos. As users of your chosen app view and purchase your photos, they will also become interested in your account; you can use this interest to further your account's business.

Foap is a great app for iPhone and Android platforms. You start by creating an account with Foap, then you upload photos to their database. Users can browse and purchase your photos, and you take 50 percent of the photo price.[6]

3

Differentiate between stock and premium content. Stock content--lower-quality photos that business and websites can use for advertising--should go directly to your chosen photo-selling app, but you should sell your premium photos--e.g., incredibly high-quality pieces that command a higher price--individually from your Instagram page. This is where having a large follower base becomes crucial.

Note that stock content shouldn't actually be low-quality; rather, it should be generic or otherwise applicable to a wide variety of situations. Premium content should be more geared toward individual consumption.

4

Watermark your premium photos. You can do this by uploading a lower-resolution version of the photo, or you can place a graphic (e.g., your signature or an obtrusive piece of text) over the top of it. Be sure to retain original copies of the photo for distribution.

When a follower wants to purchase your photo, you can send them an invoice and the unwatermarked version of your photo.

5

Post your watermarked photos with a price. You'll want to place the following information in the post:

Desired price

Desired payment client (e.g., PayPal or Venmo)

Photo size

Photo resolution

Brief photo description

6

Wait for followers to request a photo. As long as you have an active follower base and you've generated interest in your photography up to this point, you should have no problem selling some of your photos from Instagram!

You can also take photo content requests from individual followers; you'll be able to charge a premium price for these.

Tips

Most marketing apps or brands will require you to have a PayPal ID in order to pay you.

If your Instagram is based around photography, make sure that every photo on your account page is high-quality. Even one unintentionally blurry or poorly-edited photo can diminish your credibility as a photographer.

In rare cases, you can sell your Instagram account for a quick buck.[7]

As long as you maintain your online presence, regularly post quality content, and listen to your follower base, you will likely have a successful Instagram.

Obtaining corporate sponsors on Instagram is another way to earn money (or products/services); to know how to obtain sponsors on Instagram, see How to Get Instagram Sponsors.

Warnings

Like any business' process, building a reputable Instagram account and then monetizing it will take time.

The Federal Trade Commission's advertising guidelines dictate that you need to tag any advertisements as such; you can do this by placing a "#ad" tag in your post descriptions.[8]

Article Info

This article was co-authored by Ramin Ahmari. Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, a social media influencer consultancy. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

"I have been Instagram on and off due to internet connection problems. However, once I have a smooth and fast connection, I never failed to post pics, like and love pics posted on your site and gain one or two followers in the mean time."..." more

Baiba Apermane

May 22, 2017

"I gained understanding about the basics (and not only the basics) of how to use Instagram creatively. Thanks a lot!"

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Karin Dufrane

Apr 26, 2017

"Had not thought of Instagram this way, good info, easy to grasp, variety of options, good amount of content. "

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Ramiza Bee

Dec 15, 2016

"Just starting an account. Will try this. Have desires in life. Just giving a try. Helpful post. Thank you."

JM

Jennifer Mackey

Aug 4, 2016

"The success course was very beneficial, as well as the information on becoming an expert in your craft."

JB

Justice Barnett

May 23, 2017

"This article was very informative I had a paper and pen and jotted a few notes down. Thanks!"

GB

George Bravo

Feb 12, 2017

"New to this, all information very interesting and insightful, thank you for your time."

JJ

Josephine. Josephine.

Jul 11, 2016

"Thank you very much for this. Detailed, informative, and easy to understand."

JK

James Kehoe

Mar 28, 2016

"Straight to the point, and covers the different scenarios, thank you."